Cognitive dysfunction or impairment is a common neurological complication of congestive heart failure (“CHF”) and post cardiac surgery affecting approximately 50-70% of patients at hospital discharge and 20-40% of patients six months after surgery. The occurrence of CHF and postoperative cognitive dysfunction is associated with increased duration of hospitalization and impaired long-term quality of life. Without being bound by any theory, it is believed that in general any clinical condition associated with an increase in inflammatory cytokines and/or increase in reactive oxygen species in central nervous system, in particular in the brain, can lead to cognitive dysfunction.
Unfortunately, there is no effective pharmacological treatment for cognitive impairment or dysfunction for CHF and postoperative patients or for any other clinical condition associated with an increase in inflammation cytokines and/or increase in reactive oxygen species in the brain.
Accordingly, there is a need for a treatment for cognitive dysfunction in a clinical condition associated with an increase in inflammatory cytokines and/or increase in reactive oxygen species.